Oil distributing apparatus



April 19, 1949. I BAKER 2,467,722

I OIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed'March 5, 1945 Patented Apr. 19, 1949OIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS David B. Baker, Riverside, 111., assignor toInternational Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationMarch 5, 1945, Serial No. 581,111 6 Claims. (01. 184- 6) This inventionconcerns systems for distributing oil in desired small quantities toseveral points and relates more in particular to a type of apparatus inwhich the oil is discharged pastweir means into passages leading to therespective points.

Oil distributing apparatus constructed according to the invention isespecially useful in the picking units of cotton harvesting machines ofthe general character disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,140,631 to E. A.Johnston. Such units embody a picking spindle carrier rotatable about avertical axisand having a great number of spindle bearings and spindledriving gears all spaced radially from the carrier axis. These gears andbearings require a lubricant in ample amount because of their rapid andcontinuous operation,

and although the quantity of lubricant (which thus. far has been oil)required at the various points is small, it should not exceed therequired amount to thereby insure the deposit of none on the cottoncrop. Cotton splotched with oil is lowered in grade.

A general object of this invention is the provision of an oildistributing system employing a device adapted to distribute smallquantities of oil inequal or other predetermined relative amounts andnot materially affected in: its accu racy by slight tilting. tossing orvibrations to which it may be subjected while inuse upon a vehicle suchas a cotton picking machine.

A more specific object is the provision of an oil distributing devicerotatable about an upright axis coaxial with an oil containing pockettherein, togetherwith a plurality of distributing channels and weirmeans over which the oil flows from the pocket into the channels.

A further objectvis the provision of a deviceposed contiguity with theweir means toresist irregularitiesv occurring in the oil level andthereby contributeto the evennessof the oil feed rate into-the channels.

These andother desirable objects wil1be more readily apparent afterreading the ensuing description with reference to the drawings, Where-Fig. 1 is avfragmentary. sectional view taken upon a vertical planeextending diametrically,

through the rotatableistructure of a cotton picking unit embodying aform of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View taken horizontally upon the line2-2 of Fig. 1.

The oil distributingdevice is generally designated Ill and is mountedcoaxially with a rotatable carrier structure 12 0f the cotton pickingunit. This cotton picking unit is of the general character of thatdisclosed in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,140,631. Carrier l2 rotatesabout a vertical axis a-a and is driven by a drive shaft I3 welded to anupper end plate 14 of the carrier at I5. This plate cooperates witha'bottom plate (not shown) for-supporting a plurality of hollowspindle-carrying bars l6 which are arranged vertically and are spacedcircumferentially about the carrier. The upper plate I4 is provided witha plurality of bearings ll respec tively for upper end portions of thecircumferentially spaced spindle-carrying bars It, and the lower plate(not shown) is provided with similar bearings for lower end sections ofsaid bars.

Each carrier bar lfisupports a plurality of vertically spacedpicker-spindles IB-having beveled gears I9 upon endsthereof projectinginto theinterior of their bars. Gears I9 are driven by companion gears2| constrained for rotation with an associated shaft 22, there being ashaft 22 in each of the carrier bars [6. The shafts 22 are piloted inball bearing units 23 spaced axially thereof and carriedupon th carrierbars. All of shafts 22 are driven in the same direction by gears 24 upontheir upper ends which mutually mesh with a large sun gear 25 which isrotated by a large tubular drive shaft 26 secured thereto by cap screws21.

ball bearing unit 28. The bars l6, which are oscillatable withintheir'bearings as l 1, are controllable in the angularity of theiroscillation by arms 29 respectively secured to their upper ends. Thesearms 29 are oscillated =by cam means (not shown) for causing thespindles 18 on their associated bars Hi to enter the crop plantsperpendicularly to the rows during that cycle in the rotation of thecarrier l2 when the spindles are pre-- sented to the crop row andlikewise be maintained an inverted cylindrical recess 33- withinthe'lower;

. end of the carrier drive shaft I3 where it is ad- Concentricity ismaintained between the sun gear 25 and the carrier l2 by a- 3 justablyheld in an axial direction by machine screws 34. A packing ring 35within a circumferential groove of the receptacle cooperates with theside walls of the recess 33 in preventing leakage.

In the upper outer end portion of the receptacle 3| there are aplurality of radiating oil-conducting channels 36 which are disposed inrespective registry with oil conducting passages or channels 31, each ofwhich comprises a counterpart in the form of a radial hole 38 in thelower end portion of the carrier drive shaft l3, a radial bore 39 in thecarrier end plate l4, and a tube 4| projecting from the outer end of itsassociated bore 39 into a respectively associated one of the hollowspindlecarrying bars l6. Each bar I6 and the shank of its associatedcontrol arm 29 is slotted as at 42 for accommodating the tube 4|therefor. The tubes 4| are open at their outer ends 43 for discharginginto their associated spindle-carrying bars l6. Oil discharged from theend of each tube 4| falls onto the uppermost gear 2| which centrifugallythrows part of this oil onto the inner periphery of its tube l6, wherebythe oil descends upon said inner periphery and downwardly of the shaft22 for lubricating all the gears 2| and I9 and for conduction axially ofthe spindles H; for lubricatimg their bearings 44.

Referring again to the receptacle 3 weir means is provided thereon forconducting the oil from the receptacle pocket 32 into the channels 36from where it flows into the channels or passages 31 for lubricating theparts within and carried by spindle-carrying bars H in theabove-described manner. In the present embodiment, this weir meanscomprises a plurality of weirs 45 respectively registering andcommunicating with the channels 36 and separated from one another byradially extending upstanding bosses 46.

Oil is fed into the device It] by a metering device (not shown) mountedupon a portion of the picking unit casing 41. Said metering device isconnected with a threaded aperture 48 in the casing and feeds downwardlyinto the receptacle pocket 32 through a tube 49 which carries aflowregulating member 5| upon its lower end. The lower end of a bore 52in the member 5| completes the communication between the tube 49 and thereceptacle pocket. Said tube 49 and the member 5| are supportednon-rotatably.

In the operation of the device, oil is permitted to drop downwardlythrough the tube 49 at a slow rate, for example, 15 to 25 drops perminute. This oil accumulates in the receptacle pocket 32 and eventuallyfills this pocket to its brim or to the weir means 45. Upon the oilrising to the height of the weir means, it will commence to flowthereover into the channels or passages 36 and thence through thepassages 31 for lubricating the parts contained in and carried by thespindle carrier bars l6.

While the machine is in operation, the carrier l2 and therefore thereceptacle 3| will be rotating about the axis a-a so that thecentrifugal force upon the oil in the pocket will tend to overcomeinequalities of the oil level within the pocket. Such inequalities mayotherwise exist because of tossing and vibrational motion imparted tothe device by the vehicular picking unit as it traverses an uneven orunlevel course. Also during operation of the machine as upon a hillsidethe axis a-a while then generally upright would not be exactlyperpendicular. The centrifugal action of the rotating receptacle 3| alsotends to overcome gravitational movement of the oil toward one side ofthe receptacle pocket during operating positions when the axis 0-0. isnot strictly vertical.

The oil flow regulating member 5| also contributes to the maintenance ofthe upper surface of the oil in the pocket 32 in uniform relation to theweirs 45. The lower end of the member 5| is normally at a slightly lowerelevation than that of the weirs and is therefore in an opposedcontiguous relation with respect thereto within the upper portion of theoil body within the pocket 32. This member 5| thus serves to trammelswishing of the oil within the pocket, and since the member 5| isstationary while the side walls of the receptacle revolve thereabout,there is a constant redistribution of the oil circumferentially of thepocket to overcome any tendency for the oil to collect and build itsupper surface to a higher elevation at any one section than at othersections. The just-described features of the device cooperate tomaintain a uniform oil level, and uniform feeding of the oil over theweirs is supplemented by the internal cohesive Properties of the oilitself, so that all these features functioning collectively cause thedevice to distribute a small quantity of oil with adequate precisenesseven when the machine upon which the device is run is traversing roughand/or unlevel terrain.

While in the present installation it is desirable for the distributingdevice III to cause equal minute quantities of oil to be deliveredthrough the passages 31, it would be possible to incur unequalpredetermined relative fixed amounts of oil through said passages. Thismay be done, for example, by forming some of the weirs 45 lower withrespect to the others when it should be desired to increase the relativeflow past these relatively lower weirs. Different flow rates through theweirs may also be obtained by forming the device with relatively widerweirs (circumferentially of the receptacle) at the points where greaterflow is desired.

Having thus described the preferred form of my invention with the viewof fully illustrating the same,

I claim:

1. In an oil distributing device, a structure rotatable about a verticalaxis, said structure having an oil receiving pocket coaxial with saidaxis and a plurality of outlets through which the oil received by saidpocket is to be discharged in equal quantities, said structurecomprising weir means spaced radially from such axis and over which theoil spills from the pocket, and said weir means being disposed abovesaid outlets and for directing the spilled oil thereinto.

2. In an oil distributing device, a member rotatable about a verticalaxis and having an inverted cavity coaxial with such axis, a plug-likestructure insertable into said cavity to close the same and to rotatewith said member, said structure having an oil receiving pocket alsocoaxial with said axis, said structure having a brim about said pocketand a plurality of outlets through which oil received thereby from saidpocket is to be discharged in equal quantities, said outlets beingcommunicative with the pocket over the brim thereof and being below suchbrim, and means projecting upwardly from said brim to segregate sectionsof the latter for the flow thereover of oil from the pocket intorespective of said passages.

3. In an oil distributing device, a receptable rotatable about anupright axis coaxial with an oil receiving pocket therein, saidreceptacle having oil outlet passages, a plurality of weirs rotatablewith said receptacle and spaced circumferentially about the side Wallsof said pocket at an elevated position with respect to the bottoms ofsaid passages, said weirs respectively communicating with said passagesand being adapted for the flow of oil therepast into the passages uponthe oil reaching sufiicient height in said pocket.

4. In an oil distributing device, a receptacle rotatable about anupright axis coaxial with an oil receiving pocket therein, saidreceptacle having oil outlet passages spaced circumferentially about itsside walls, Weir means above the bottoms of said passages and over whichthe oil can spill from the receptacle into said passages when the uppersurface of the oil reaches an adequate height in the receptacle, and anoil flow regulating member depending into the pocket in opposedcontiguity with said weir means and to a suificient depth for at leastpartial immersion by the oil to dampen localized variations in theheight of such upper oil surface.

5. The combination set forth in claim 5, and wherein said regulatingmember has an inlet passage for directing oil axially and centrally intothe receptacle pocket.

6. In an oil distributing device, a receptacle having an oil receivingpocket disposed with its principal axis upright, said receptacle havingoil outlet passages, a plurality of weirs on said receptacle above thebottoms of said passages and spaced circumferentially about the sideWalls of said pocket, said weirs respectively communicating with saidpassages and being adapted for the flow of oil therepast into thepassages incident to the surface of the oil reaching suificient heightin the pocket, an oil flow regulating member disposed in the receptaclepocket 00- axially therewith and in opposed contiguity with said weirmeans to dampen localized variations in the height of such upper oilsurface, and mounting means for said member and said receptacle foraccommodating their relative rotation about said axis.

DAVID B. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,778,525 Frisch Oct. 14, 19302,140,631 Johnston Dec. 20, 1938

